Algonquin man involved in crash dies

H. Rick Bamman - hbamman@shawmedia.com
A silver Honda sedan is pulled from a pond after 57-year-old Algonquin man on Wednesday drove into a retention pond at the Algonquin Commons, the police department said.

Caption

(H. Rick Bamman)

H. Rick Bamman - hbamman@shawmedia.com
A fire department diver works to secure a tow line to a vehicle after the car plunged into a pond at Corporate Drive and Randall Road in Algonquin on Wednesday, April 2, 2014. About 10:55 a.m. police officers and firefighters responded to Algonquin Commons after a silver four-door Honda sedan went over a parking lot curb, over the grass, and into a retention pond, Kuzynowski said. The driver a 57-year-old Algonquin man was rescued through the sun roof as the car began to sink.

ALGONQUIN – A man who drove into a storm water retention pond at the Algonquin Commons has died, a hospital official said.

Paul Mellor, 56, of Algonquin, was driving about 10:55 a.m. Wednesday at the Algonquin Commons when his Honda went over a parking lot curb, crossed the grassy area, and into the 6-foot pond near Biaggi's Italian Restaurant.

Algonquin-Lake in the Hills firefighters were able to break a sun roof and cut Mellor's seat belt to rescue him. He was taken Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin where he died Friday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

He had been in critical condition.

The hospital couldn't comment further.

Algonquin Deputy Police Chief Steve Kuzynowski said Friday the incident is still under investigation.

He had said earlier this week that the police department hoped to speak to Mellor to find out what happened when he drove into the pond.

Mellor was the only person in the car.

Immediately after the crash, the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Department had to call in extra help from Carpentersville, Crystal Lake, Huntley, Fox River Grove, Woodstock, Wauconda, Lake Zurich, Nunda Rural, Cary, McHenry Township, Lakewood and Wonder Lake to help with recovery of the car.